When you’re at work, does it seem like your desk is always cluttered? Do you have assignments just dumped on you daily and it seems like you never get to see all of your desk? Clutter can easily happen at work, especially when someone is extremely busy. Even in the busiest times, however, there is always a way to work on eliminating the clutter so that you can be your very best at any given moment!

This 5 step plan can help you effectively eliminate clutter quickly:

Step 1: Carve Out a Routine

Even if today is your very first day at work, it is important to develop a routine that will help you manage your day. People are routine-based, even if that routine is an “anti-routine,” which means you will be more effective at what you do when it is familiar to you. Think about it: if you don’t get to do what you usually do in the morning, it kind of throws off your entire day for a while, doesn’t it?

The same is true with work responsibilities. The better the routine you have, the less clutter you’ll end up having too.

Step 2: Use Your Calendars

Taking the time to input all of the information into an online calendar or writing it down on a paper calendar seems like a waste. It can take an hour or two if you’re really busy! Yet this time investment will pay off in long-term benefits because you’ll know how each day is structured, have dedicated time for specific projects to get done, and this will effectively eliminate the clutter that builds up when people fall behind on work.

Step 3: Create a To-Do List Every Day

One of the best reasons to utilize an online calendar is that many of them can produce a to-do list each day for you. Part of the reason that clutter begins to build is because people feel overwhelmed. This feeling occurs because people feel like they aren’t getting enough done with their day. This creates the feeling that someone is having a “bad day” and the typical reaction to a bad day is to procrastinate on work.

If clutter has a twin, it would be procrastination. Check off items on your to-do list every day, feel the success this brings, and you’ll reduce clutter immediately.

Step 4: Stay On Top of Your E-mail

If you pulled up your inbox right now, how many new messages would be in there? The average person keeps over 20 new messages that are unread in their inbox every day! Many also use their e-mail as a filing system, which means there is probably over 200 e-mails sitting unorganized in your account if you’re like the average person. Set aside some time each day to just organize your e-mail. When there’s less electronic clutter, there’s often less clutter overall.

Step 5: Claim Your Own Space

Don’t allow other workers or even your boss to dictate how your workspace needs to be. You know how you work most effectively. When people can claim ownership of their space, there’s automatically less clutter.

By following these steps, you’ll be more organized, more effective, and ultimately more productive at work. That might not make you any extra money, but it may just make the money you do earn a bit easier to get!